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AMNA -- Alternate Finance Minister Christos Staikouras is meeting with
the heads of the troika of lenders to Greece today Friday.

The main focus of the negotiations is the number of public sector
employees, while other pending issues include resolving the outstanding
debts of individuals to tax offices and insurance funds and the new real
estate tax to replace the property tax currently collected through the
electricity bills. A meeting focusing on the hot issue of public sector
layoffs demanded by Greece's lenders, concluded late Thursday evening
between Staikouras and the troika heads, also attended by minister of
Administrative Reform Antonis Manitakis.

Finance ministry sources said on Thursday evening that the two sides
were close to agreement on the entire range of issues under negotiation.